Forums >Racing>2015 Boston Marathon Thread
Hey, just looked in at the right time. 3:10:08. xhris, I finished seconds behind you and bhearn, seconds in front of you. Wish I'd known! We could've had a shivery meetup around one of the street vents (at the time, the steam billowing from below was like manna from heaven) Congrats to you both!
You and bhearn were probably out of the finish area when I finished. I ran from the second wave with my red bib. It was funny going through all the checkpoints 20-30 minutes late. It was like arriving at an airport when your plane was boarding. Everyone wanted to move me ahead.
Having run from the middle and back of the first wave already, I found the front of the second corral in wave two to be very pleasant. It was a lot less crowded, had a lot less testosterone, and thinned out nicely. We were across the line in 25 seconds after the start. I think we had the option to run some tangents.
My race report is up.
Julia - the page says "File not Found" Error 404.
Here's the fixed link. Great report, Julia! Congratulations.
https://www.runningahead.com/groups/marathoner_dailies/forum/Post/e124ab5bdea342ffa1f488dbe9440de8#focus
I guess I'll report back. I had a good race, not great (A great race would have a finishing time starting with a 2). I did 3:02:46. A masters PR by almost 5 minutes (43 y.o). 1:30:00/1:32:46. Do you know what really kept me going at the end, trying to run as fast as I can so I don't have to start back in corral 7 ever again (or next year). Oh my God. So crowded once again. I probably lost 30 seconds in the first half due to the starting and stopping.
The weather was not as awful as 2012, but it did not make for a pleasurable experience. The walk back post-race to the hotel, probably was the worst marathon experience ever... At least in 2012 is was nice and toasty warm.
Here's the fixed link. Great report, Julia! Congratulations. https://www.runningahead.com/groups/marathoner_dailies/forum/Post/e124ab5bdea342ffa1f488dbe9440de8#focus
Thanks! I probably forgot to check the link last night when I posted it.
And, thanks for the pacing advice. I didn't follow your plan exactly but the spirit of it is right on.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
some call me Tim
Sounds great, though the crowding helped this Boston noob keep it reined in during the early miles. Still, If my wife manages to crush her qualifier this year I may just do that next time around.
You and bhearn were probably out of the finish area when I finished. I ran from the second wave with my red bib. It was funny going through all the checkpoints 20-30 minutes late. It was like arriving at an airport when your plane was boarding. Everyone wanted to move me ahead. Having run from the middle and back of the first wave already, I found the front of the second corral in wave two to be very pleasant. It was a lot less crowded, had a lot less testosterone, and thinned out nicely. We were across the line in 25 seconds after the start. I think we had the option to run some tangents.
ME WEBLARG
Fight The Future
Congrats to all of you super fast runners, what an impressive group!
As a brief race report, here are my thoughts from Monday's experience.
As I had mentioned before, I had a very bad year with multiple injuries, fractures, etc that basically knocked out five months of running. I started back in September ramping up slowly, and was able to get on the Hanson's plan for most of the weeks. I was thinking I could try for a requalifying time of 3:40 as a rough target. I was very bummed out about the weather. Like most others here, I was completely freezing and shivering for hours before the start. The race itself was OK, but after the first half I stopped even trying to avoid the puddles and just splashed on through them. My shoes were completely water logged by the end.
I was originally going to follow Bhearn's pace band, and I printed out a pace band scaled to end at 3:40. However, since I don't wear my reading glasses when I run, it was not particularly legible. Instead, I tried to roughly follow his strategy of starting slow for the first 3-5 miles, then ease into goal pace, grind through the hills, then run as fast as I could after heartbreak. I think I actually managed it pretty well, given the adverse weather. These are my split paces.
One thing that I'm particularly pleased with is that I was able to keep the pace up (for the most part) even at the end when my legs were quite painful. I've never been able to keep on pace for that much of a marathon before. I guess it helps to scale back on the expectations! Even though I was slower by 15 minutes than when I ran Boston in 2013, I'm actually more proud of my effort in breaking through the pain this time than I was last time.
Other things that worked for me this time:
1. No GU or gatorade. I only took UCann super starch. Before the race, I drank some in water. During the race, i ate some nasty home-made super starch "gels" that tasted and felt like eating giant balls of mucus. Really revolting, but I had absolutely no stomach upset, and my energy was better then previous races.
2. Switched from body glide to ChafeX. First time ever using it in a race. I know, against all rules, but a salesperson at the expo convinced me to try it, and with the rain forecast I knew body glide might not be so effective. I have to admit the ChafeX worked well, and i had no pain at all when I took a shower afterwards.
3. Bigger breakfast than before (2 and half bagels) before the race very early.
In all, a very good experience. Thanks to all of you for the encouragement and advice, and most of all to Julia for generating so much excitement for this whole thing
Another late check in. I think I might be the slowest finisher of the bunch here...
I really tried to follow all the pacing advice, but I ended up making all the rookie mistakes. I had a rough couple work weeks before the race and some personal turmoil which sure didn't set up the best performance. I also don't do well in the cold. Nevertheless, I managed to go out as if I was in PR shape! Started too fast, was still feeling good at the half, and by 14 (before the hills!) knew I was in trouble. at 14 1/2 I ran smack in to 2 little old ladies trying to cross the course in the crowd and that threw me off a bit, too.
Im proud I ran up every hill, but the wheels were definitely off by then. I mustered a slight recovery only after seeing the Citgo sign, and struggled in with a 15 minute positive split in 3:56:14.
Although the running was rough, this is still the best race experience I've ever had. The crowds, the volunteers, although the Boston residents everywhere were so, so amazing.
I hope to be back one day for a little redemption race wise, but man, I loved every minute of the experience!
northernman, congrats on a great, even race! And I'll back your ChafeX experience. I've been using it since last fall and it's great stuff.
.
Congrats everyone!
late check in also... unorganized thoughts...
- generally satisfied with my results... original plan was 315, then in March adjusted to 320... really struggled to get weekly mileage much over 55. came in at 3:26:40. (bq 325) so a little disappointing that way, but given the winter, I thought the race day conditions were the cherry on top.
- was very consistent in my splits, and didn't have my too familiar big slow down at the end, but im fortunate its 26.2 and not 27.2
- never shivered so bad in my life than getting to and leaving gear check on the Common
- stayed at Doubletree downtown (theater/chinatown/tufts medical)... many runners there; nice hotel, staff was great. they gave us breakfast for 4 x 4 days for no apparent reason; other than the frozen walk from the finish to gear check to the hotel, it's a good place to stay. they were overwhelmed Monday night. I think like many, we planned to go to Fenway and bailed as the pouring rain continued... the restaurant and bar were crushed with people... when the bartender looks at the cans of beer you brought with you and seems to say 'thank god' well you know he's buried
- athletes village, buses, gear check - remarkably smooth ans seamless
- expo - went Friday and Sunday morning... it was chaos with the only exception being 9-10 sunday morning. way more crowded than I remember it ever being except maybe 2 pm on Sundays
- I was really zoned out in the race, particularly in the last 5 miles as I struggled to keep pace... I have never experienced that in a race, being so disconnected.
- BAA really does a tremendous job - congrats to them.
- found a really cool website that is doing an analysis on this year's marathons and comparing qualifying numbers to try to predict the BQ cutoff for 2016, which unfortunately is a concern for me. Well done analysis.
Thanks for organizing the group, Julia!
Rhode Island Road Runners
Set my cruise control to "mikey" and just went along for a 2:57:41 tour of greater Boston. Scott Mason is a local(ish*) photographer (and former stud runner dude) who shoots road races, cycling races, auto rallies, etcThe conditions were less than ideal for running, but apparently they were pretty damned good for taking pics. You can relive your day, or if you were following along from a distance you can feel like you were there.Boston 2015 through Scott Mason's lens*Scott's actually from Rhode Island, but as far as I'm concerned he's an honorary Masshole.
E.J.Greater Lowell Road RunnersCry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.
2:48:26 (1:23:54/1:24:32), fastest 5k 19:39 (5~10k), slowest 5k 20:22 (30~35k)
The goofy looking fecker in the very last pic of that slideshow is me. Apparently it broke the camera.
A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.
Scott can even make goofy looking feckers look good, that's talent. I'm jealous.